Old Paint Fight, Not Such a Great Idea

Princess number three and four help out with the local 4-H group mentoring.

The end of the year event was an "old paint party." I didn't ask many questions as it is run by an adult and I figured it was going to be with washable paint balls or something. 

After all, the girls are old enough to know if something wasn't right..... Or so I thought. 

I got a call the other day telling me that they were on the front grass waiting to go in because they were worried they may get paint on the carpet. 
 
I came home to find them sitting there and I wasn't a happy mom when I saw them. I guess the instructor told everyone to bring any old paint in cans they had sitting at home or in the garage. 

Not only did they use all types of latex paints, they also had people bring oil based paints. I only pray that none of the paint was old Lead paint.

I guess the instructor thought that these cute little hats and the green t-shirts pictured in the top picture would keep them safe. 

I asked the girls why they didn't wear the caps and they said, "We didn't think the kids would be pouring paint buckets on our heads." Their shirts were coated, the shirt under those had paint on them as you can see above. The tank shirt under that was also ruined with paint as well as the pants. I tried paint thinner on the paint and it wasn't working. I wasn't sure how to get it out of their hair.

I finally told them to put on bathing suits and climb in the big jetted tub. I put in as hot of water as they could stand and took a scrub brush and a pumice stone and scrubbed them clean. I put on a movie for them to watch while they soaked their skin and used a TON of conditioner and soaked their hair in it and then used a comb to pull the paint out. Their hair sure was soft the next day and their skin was a bit raw. 
 
The girls told me that none of the other kids could get the paint all off and asked how they had gotten it all off. I am sure they were too embarrassed to tell anyone that their mom scrubbed them clean. :-)

So, if your children even come home and tell you they are going to have a paint fight, I would suggest that you start asking questions. I have no idea what the ground looked like after the fight. I wish I had video of the event. Blackmail video for sure!